Potato-digger.



E. R. ALLEN.

POTATO BIGGER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.19, 1912.

' 1,133,908. Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO PHOTOLITHOY. WASHINGTON. D. c

E. R. ALLEN.

POTATO BIGGER.

APPLICATION I'ILED SBPT.19, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Mar. 30, 1915 60., PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHING TON. v c.

EDWARD R. ALLEN, OF GORNING, NEW YORK.

POTAT O-IDIGGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

Application filed September 19, 1912. Serial No. 721,287.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD R. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Corning, in the county of Steuben and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato-Diggers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for digging potatoes and has for one of its objects the provision of a machine which is efficient in operation and is capable of throwing the potatoes to either side of the furrow.

Another object is to provide a machine which may be folded into a convenient position to be transported on its own wheels without operating the digging mechanism.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear from the following description, the invention may be embodied in various forms of construction one of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine with certain parts removed and other parts shown in section; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine; and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates a shaft on which are mounted the wheels 11 and 12, these wheels being secured to the shaft in any suitable manner. A yoke 13, having bearings 14 and 15 for the shaft 10, extends forwardly of the shaft and has secured thereto the pole 16, this pole serving as a means by which the machine may be drawn and guided by horses. The shaft 10 has mounted thereon the oppositely arranged bevel gears 17 and 18, these gears being arranged between the bearings 14 and 15. A member 19 is slidably arranged on the shaft 10 between the gears 17 and 18 and has secured thereto one end of a shaft 20, the other end of this shaft being secured in the head or block 21. The member 19 has a fiat upper surface 22 in which is a groove 23 adapted to receive a tongue 24 on a member 25 which is arranged between the gears 17 and 18 and preferably held thereby against movement longitudinally of the shaft 10. The member 25 carries a forwardly extending bracket 26 to which is secured a suitable guard 27 which is adapted to prevent dirt and other materials from getting into the gear teeth from above the machine. The

member 19 is provided with a pair of upwardly projecting lugs 28 to which is secured the plate or quadrant 29 by means of the bolts 30 and 31. Rearwardly of the lugs 28is a lug 32 which forms a rest for the plate 29 and helps support the latter. The plate 29 is notched at its rearward end to provide fine teeth as indicated at 33, and a lever 34 is pivoted to the plate 29, by means of a bolt 35, and carries on its under side a latch 36 which engages the notches in the plate 29 and holds the lever. The lever 34 is also pivoted to the member 25 by means of a bolt 34- which passes through an elongated slot 34 in the lever. A spring 37 is arranged between the latch 36 and the abutment 38 carried by the lever 34 and holds the latch in the notch in the quadrant, and a rod 39 is connected with the latch 36 and with an operating lever 40 adjacent the end of the lever 34. This construction permits the latch 36 to be withdrawn from the notches in the quadrant when the operator grasps the end of the lever 34.

An upright bracket 41 may be pivoted or otherwise secured to the member 21 and is provided with the lateral extensions 42 having the slot 43 through which passes the lever 34. The upper end of the member 41 has pivoted thereto a rod 44 provided with suitable notches 45 and extending forwardly from the bracket and through a suitable opening in the upright bracket 46 carried by the pole 16. The member 21 also has secured thereto the handles 47 by means of which the machine may be guided.

The shaft 20 has arranged thereon a sleeve 48 which carries the bevel pinion 49, this pinion being adapted to cotiperate with the gears 17 and 18 to form a driving connection between the shaft 10 and the sleeve. At its rearward end the sleeve 48 is connected with the hub 50 of the bevel gear 51 by means of a suitable jaw clutch 52. From the lower side of the member 21 extends a shaft 53 having secured on its lower end the lifting plow or digger 54. Arranged above the digger 54 is a hub 55 having projecting therefrom the arms 56. A bevel gear 57 is loosely arranged on the shaft 53 above the hub 55 and meshes with the gear 51 and is provided with the downwardly projecting rods or clutch members 58 which engage the hub 55 and cause the hub to rotate with the gear.

When in operation the machine will ordinarily be drawn by horses and the shaft 10 will be caused to rotate. WVhen the pinion 49 stands in the position shown in Fig. 2 where it is midway between the gears 17 and 18 these gears will rotate freely. "If however the lever 34 is shifted either tothe right or left of the position shown in Fig.

2 the pinion 49 will be moved into engagement with one of the gears 17 or 18 and thus drive the. hub. 55. V

The plow ordigger .54 willdisintegrate the soil that surrounds the potatoes and as the plow advances the soil and the potatoes will be carried upwardly thereon .and-delivered into the arms 56 carried by .the :hub 55. The loose soil will pass through the spaces betweenthe arms, andthe potatoes will be thrown by centrifugal force tothe side :of the furrow. It will be readily understood .that .by having the pinion-t9 in mesh .with'the gear l7uthe potatoes will" be thrown to one side of the furrow and by having the pinion inanesh with the .gear 118 the direction of rotation of thelhub 55will be reversed and.thepotatoes'thrown to the other side of. the furrow. It willalso beunderstood-that when the: pinion 49 :is inneutralposition the hub 55 willnotbe rotated. The-machine may be convenientlyfolded for purposes of transportation by lifting the handles 47 so that-the digger-.154 is raised to any; desired height above: the ground. hen so elevated the parts wilhbeheld by theengagement. of the notches withthe bracket &6. .Wear of the teeth of the pinion 4:9, or the gearsl? and-18 maybe compensated for bymoving the pinionfarther to the right or left so as to bring. the teeth into engagement, the teeth of the quadrant being made fine to permit adjustment of the pinion for this purpose.

mages Having thus described the invention what is claimed is: i i M 1. In a machine of the class described, the

combination-of a shaft, a pair of wheels mounted on said shaft, a pair of bevel gears secured" to said shaft, a lifting plow, a throwing wheel adapted to receivethe potatoes from said lifting plow and deliver thesameabtheside of the path of the machine, a member fixed between said gears, a second member slidablewon said shaft, a pinion carried by said .second member and arranged between said igears, .means' operatively .connecting .said pinion with said throwing wheel, a :lever pivotally connected with said members, a quadrantcarried by one of :the said .-members, and a latching mechanism carried :by ,said lever and cooperating with said quadrant .to hold said lever .in position;

2. :lna miachineof thelclass described,sthe

combination iof .a shaft extending transversely of the machine, means for driving said shaft, a .second -shaft extending rearwardly .of. saidfirst mentioned. shaft, l a third shaft rigidliy .oonnected with said second shaft .andextending transversely thereof, a lifting plow sal ried .bysaid third shaft, a throwing .wheel ,rotatably .mounted on said third shaft, .a gear .rotatably mounted on saidiseeond shaftaand. adaptedato drive said throwing wheel, .a second gear rotatably mounted on said second shaft, a clutch :for connecting said gears, and means .for .reversibqly drivingsaid second .gear from said first inentionedishaft V v ,ln-testimonyiwhereof I. affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD 1R, ALLEN. Witnesses .FAY ILNVrnrn, .S. QUAOKENBUSH.

691 108.otzthispatentmaybe obtainedifior an cents each, by sa iresins th fim ksimc t 'a e ts W shtn2 0 

